New Hampshire fishing reports
289 reports for New Hampshire — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Fall bass and perch settle in as NH waters cool
Gauge readings across the Merrimack and Lake Winnipesaukee region show water temps of 51 to 52°F this morning, with flow at 78.3 cfs on gauge 01072870, 17.4 cfs on gauge 01073319 and 34.8 cfs on gauge 01091000. Gauge 01073500 reads 117 cfs. Water in the low 50s puts freshwater fish into their fall feeding pattern, when predators key on baitfish and the bite tends to be best in the warmest part of the day. Tactical Bassin points to an October shallow bite, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater working for bass that relate to subtle cover and are often overlooked. Field & Stream adds that fall bass anglers can cover water with spinnerbaits to find active fish, and that turnover rarely hits a whole lake at once, so clean, clear water is the target.
Merrimack and Winnipesaukee trout and perch turn on as water cools
Water in the region's rivers has settled into the low 50s, with USGS gauge 01072870 and gauge 01073319 both reading 53°F and gauge 01091000 at 52°F. That is the range where fall fish feed with purpose. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, freshly stocked trout are producing, with white PowerBait the hottest offering from shore and hardware working less well. A Methuen report from the same outlet described browns and a rainbow on trout, plus a pile of white perch in the 11 to 13 inch range. Yellow Perch and Brown Trout are the species worth planning around this week.
Fall striper and tog bite builds along the Gulf of Maine
The fall run is the story this week. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), the striped bass bite in the Northeast has been strong for weeks, and tautog are chewing as the water cools, which is typical for mid-October. Anglers Journal describes the late-season striper blitz as the heartbeat of the Northeast fishery, with birds, baitfish and gamefish all staging to move south or offshore. For NH anglers, that points to the best action tied to bait movement along the coast and around river mouths and ledges, and to birds working over the water at first and last light.
Fall striper run keeps pushing north toward the Gulf of Maine
The fall run is the story this week as stripers keep moving north of Cape Cod. Dave Anderson in The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME describes waves of Striped Bass pushing through with slow spots in between. Plymouth was the hot zone, and he notes that may signal a fresh wave heading toward the Canal and points north. Surfland in the same report says the daytime bite has been hit and miss. The most reliable action has been after dark, with surfcasters slinging eels and reporting some over-slot fish. Blitzes have also shown up in river locations. Beauport Fishing Adventures notes that bait and groundfish appear to be starting a shift southward.
Cooling rivers and fall trout stockings set the tone in NH
Merrimack-basin gauges are reading 54 to 57°F this evening, with flows running low at 33 to 84 cfs across the four sites. Water in the mid-50s keeps fish comfortable and feeding through the afternoon rather than only at dawn. The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reports fall trout stockings across nearby New England ponds, with white PowerBait the top producer and hardware a distant second, mostly fished from shore. The same report notes white perch in the 11 to 13 inch range alongside the trout, and bass action described as okay, mostly on live shiners. Tactical Bassin points to shallow water as the overlooked October play, using jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater.
Fall stocking and cooling water set up Merrimack trout and perch
Water is cooling fast across the Merrimack watershed. Our USGS gauge readings show 51°F at gauge 01072870, 52°F at gauge 01091000 and 53°F at gauge 01073319 this morning, with flows running low at roughly 20 to 51 cfs. That is a comfortable range for active perch and bass feeding up ahead of winter. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, fall trout stocking has been widespread across the region, with white PowerBait the top producer from shore and hardware a distant second. The same report noted brown trout and white perch in the 11 to 13 inch range coming from stocked ponds. Bass action in the region was described as okay, mostly on live shiners, and a tough bite for largemouth that responded only to very slow presentations.
Fall striper waves push along the north shore
The fall run is still the story north of Cape Cod. Per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, stripers are moving through in waves with slow spots in between, and Plymouth was the hot zone this week. Surfland was quoted as saying the daytime bite has been hit and miss, while the most reliable daytime action came from the river, with a tube and worm bite in Plum Island Sound. After dark, some surfcasters report red hot fishing, with eels in the Refuge producing fish over slot size.
Cooling rivers set up a steady fall bite across southern NH
Overnight readings from our USGS gauges show southern New Hampshire rivers cooling into the low 50s, a range that typically switches trout and bass from summer habits to a slower, more deliberate fall pattern. Gauge 01072870 reads 52°F at 47.2 cfs, gauge 01073319 reads 54°F at 12.4 cfs, and gauge 01091000 reads 53°F at 30.9 cfs. Gauge 01073500 shows 43.3 cfs. These are low, clear-water flows. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), shallow water is the overlooked place to look for October bass, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater all in play around hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Fishing the Midwest adds that the fall bite can turn hot as the weather cools, and that living green weeds are a good starting point because baitfish and gamefish relocate to them as other weeds die back.
Fall bass and trout move shallow as Winnipesaukee cools
October is the month many anglers wait for, and the shift is on at Lake Winnipesaukee. Per Tactical Bassin, shallow water is the overlooked play for fall bass, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater all working around hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Fishing the Midwest makes the same case for the season: as weeds die back, fish relocate to the green weeds that remain, so finding living vegetation is a good starting point for Largemouth Bass. Tactical Bassin also flags finesse presentations as the answer on tougher days, from tiny topwater to small swimbaits and compact jigs.
Merrimack trout stocking and cooling water set up fall bite
Water is dropping into the low-to-mid 50s across the Merrimack watershed, with USGS gauge 01072870 reading 53°F at 39.6 cfs and gauges 01073319 and 01091000 both at 55°F this morning. Those temperatures put Brown Trout and Brook Trout in comfortable range and are pushing Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch into their fall feeding pattern. Regional shop reports from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater point the same way: Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford said trout fishing is great right after big rainbows were stocked, with white PowerBait the hottest offering from shore and hardware working less well. Roger Aziz, Jr. in Methuen reported fall-stocked trout and white perch from 11 to 13 inches at a nearby pond.
Cooling rivers set up a fall trout and smallmouth window
Gauge readings across southern and central New Hampshire show water temperatures from 53 to 59°F, a range that moves fish out of their summer lethargy. USGS gauge 01072870 reads 53°F at 32.8 cfs, gauge 01073319 reads 56°F at 9.15 cfs, and gauge 01091000 reads 59°F at 25.7 cfs. Flows are modest, so rivers are clear and low. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), fall bass fishing rewards shallow, old-school approaches with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater near hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Fishing the Midwest notes that fish often relocate to the greenest remaining weeds as other cover dies back, a pattern that carries over to many northern lakes this time of year.
Cooling NH streams set up a prime early-fall trout window
Water in the Merrimack and Lake Winnipesaukee drainages has dropped into the low-to-mid 50s, with USGS gauge 01072870 reading 51°F at 31.4 cfs and gauges 01073319 and 01091000 both at 54°F. Flows are low and gentle at 9.15 cfs, 21.8 cfs and 14.8 cfs across the four gauges. That combination typically wakes up Brown Trout and Brook Trout, which feed harder as temperatures fall out of the high 50s. Per Wired 2 Fish, fall brings crappie from finicky to aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front arrives, and Crappie in New Hampshire's lakes follow the same cooling trend.